Huntress Transitions from Vegetarianism to Self-Shooting
In the quiet town of Grafing, near Munich, lives Farina Sooth, a 35-year-old wildlife ecologist with an unusual lifestyle. Sooth is a hunter-vegetarian, a term that may seem contradictory to some. She hunts her own meat but avoids supermarket or butcher's meat.
Sooth's journey began years ago when she watched a documentary about factory farming at the age of nine, which led her to leave the Sunday roast on her plate. For many years, she was vegetarian, but she gave up fish and lived vegan for several months during her studies in Freiburg. As Sooth became more professionally involved with wildlife, the appeal of hunting herself grew, even though she couldn't have imagined it in her childhood.
One day, Sooth set off southwards from Grafing, reaching the small Italian town of Livigno, in the Italian Alps, four hours later. There, she took her first shot a year ago. Sooth views hunting as a special craftsmanship challenge and a way to utilize a local, sustainable resource.
Sooth obtained her German and Italian hunting licenses to handle all tasks involved in hunting. She practices at the shooting range regularly to improve her skills. On one of her hunting trips, Sooth spotted a chamois through her binoculars, which was too far away. She stalked closer and, after a well-aimed shot, the chamois weighed nineteen kilos dressed out.
Sooth feels it's important to make the killing of an animal as quick and painless as possible. After the shot, she observed the animal, checked the hit, documented the process, and filled out forms. Over the next few days, Sooth processed and ate the chamois meat for the first time in years.
Despite facing criticism from animal rights activists and vegans, Sooth seeks conversation and finds common ground with them. She believes that hunting and vegetarianism are not mutually exclusive, both coming from the same attitude: respect for animals. Sooth does not discuss the number of animals she has shot since her first chamois, preferring to focus on the principles that guide her actions.
Sooth is a specialist advisor for the Bavarian Hunting Association (BJV) in Feldkirchen and lives in Grafing during the week. She continues to advocate for responsible hunting and sustainable resource management, living by her principle: "If I don't want to kill an animal, I don't want to eat meat."
